Hiring nudges ahead

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
the associated press

Published: March 7, 2014;Last modified: March 7, 2014 07:38PM

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers hired more workers in February despite a blast of harsh winter weather, renewing hopes that the economy could accelerate this year. February’s gain of 175,000 nonfarm payroll jobs was up from January’s 129,000.

However, the unemployment rate also ticked up, to 6.7 percent from a five-year low of 6.6 percent, as more people resume their hunt for a job but couldn’t find one. The unemployment rate also measures employment beyond nonfarm payroll jobs.

The severe winter had less effect on hiring than most economists had predicted.

Construction companies, which usually stop work in bad weather, added 15,000 jobs.

Manufacturing gained 6,000 for a second straight month. Government added 13,000 jobs, the most in six months. Shipping and warehousing companies and retailers cut jobs.

The monthly average of 129,000 jobs that employers have added from December through February marks the weakest three-month stretch since mid-2012. It’s down from a 225,000 average for the previous three months.

The report presents “a picture of a grinding but positive recovery in the economy,” said Stephen Wood, chief market strategist at Russell Investments.

The government revised up its estimate of job gains for December and January by a combined 25,000. December’s gain was revised up from 75,000 to 84,000, January’s from 113,000 to 129,000.

Average hourly pay rose 9 cents in February to $24.31, the biggest gain since June. Hourly wages have risen 2.2 percent over the past 12 months, ahead of 1.6 percent inflation over that time.

Though harsh winter weather didn’t appear to slow hiring much, the number of Americans who said weather forced them to work part time in February rather than full time reached the highest level in the 36 years that the government has tracked the figure. Hours worked fell.